Horned Puffin

Seabirds of the Pribilofs

Travel to remote St. Paul Island in Alaska’s Pribilof Islands, summer breeding grounds for more than two million seabirds and almost one million fur seals. This spectacle draws naturalists and photographers from around the world.

The Pribilofs lie three hundred miles from the Alaskan mainland in the Bering Sea, north of the Aleutian chain. Once there you will have over six full days for intimate photographs of the action in the readily accessible seabird colonies. We will also spend time shooting at the largest northern fur seal rookery in the world.

The volcanic shoreline here rises up in rocky cliffs that provide ideal nesting habitat for such colorful species as Horned and Tufted Puffins, Parakeet, Least, and Crested Auklets, Black and Red-legged Kittiwakes, Common and Thick-billed Murres, and Northern Fulmar. Tufted PuffinYou will return with great shots of these colorful and entertaining birds. The two puffin species are a perennial favorite of photographers. (Trivia question: What is the most abundant seabird in the world? Answer: the Least Auklet.)

Many of the birds you will see and photograph here spend most of their lives at sea. But they return to the Pribilofs to nest on the rocky cliffs that encircle the island, where they are relatively safe from predators. There is constant action all day long, as birds fly to and from the sea to feed themselves and their chicks, preen, and squabble over limited space on the crowded cliffs. We may even see and photograph the local "Blue" Arctic foxes as they attempt to scale the cliffs and steal an egg for a meal.

The Northern Fur Seal rookeries are full of activity. Huge "beach master" males attempt to hold sway over their harems, while numerous pups try to stay out of the way of trouble. These beautiful marine mammals, Northern Fur Sealonce hunted nearly to extinction for their fur, receive protection here and are flourishing.

Besides the abundant seabirds and seals on St. Paul, avian subjects include Long-tailed and Harlequin Duck, Rock Sandpiper, Snow Bunting, and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, all at the peak of breeding plumage. Some of these subjects require a short trek inland, which gives us an opportunity to explore the unique volcanic landscape. Because of the climate, trees do not grow here, but a variety of Arctic wildflowers proliferate in the moist landscape.

We'll visit "Kittiwake Lake," a small body of fresh water where handsome Black- and Red-Legged Kittiwakes and others come in the afternoons to bathe and preen. A reclusive reindeer herd lives on the island, and we may be lucky enough to see and photography them. Other photo highlights include dramatic coastal cliffs, the rocky landscape decorated with colorful lichens, and the Aleut community of St. Paul with its historic Russian Orthodox Church.

The island is less than fourteen miles from end to end, with a network of roads to the best photo locations. We will travel in a modern vehicle with ample room for photo gear to all the best sites, with a minimum of hiking required, on a trip designed for photography. We stay in the historic and comfortable King Eider Hotel. Meals with hearty servings are available in the cafeteria of the fish packing plant.

We will meet in Anchorage and fly to St. Paul (flight included), where we'll transfer to our hotel and begin our explorations. You will also have an opportunity to learn about the history of the Aleut people, their odyssey to the Pribilofs, and the role these islands played in the Second World War.

This Photo Tour gets you close to some of the most spectacular and photogenic seabird and fur seal colonies in the world for great photo opportunities. Come and experience this remote ecosystem, learn something about the "secret lives of seabirds" and more, and return home with great images. We hope you'll join us in the Pribilofs.